Orthopedic bar



Nov. 28, 1950 P. MOLAS ET AL ORTHOPEDIC BAR Filed Sept. 2, 1948 INVENTORS. PH/MP Mow/s Do/msw/cu P/usse/ Patented Nov. 28, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORTHOPEDIC BAR Philip Molas and Domenick Pilegg'i, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 2, 1948, Serial No. 47,490

The object of the present invention is to provide what is known to those skilled in treating the human foot, as an orthopedic bar; The orthopedic bar of the present invention is especially adapted for the treatment of the condition known as Pes-planus, or fiat feet. Pes-planus is an orthopedic disturbance and is a source of pain originating in the feet and going to the ankles and calves and eventually extending to the Lumbar spine. Patients suffering from this condition are often unable to walk or carry on their normal activities. Certain circulatory disturbances have been known to develop in patients having flat feet which have not been properly treated. The tissues of the foot and ankle become lax and atonic and as a result the natural tissue turgae is lost as well as the stability of the foot structures. Many other symptoms produced elsewhere in the body in many instances can be traced as due to fiat feet. Numerous orthopedic complaints have been eradicated or cured by the use of the bar of our invention.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an underface view of a full size, left foot, orthopedic bar, constructed in accordance with the invention, the face there shown being the face that is presented to the ground in use;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line A--A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof and showing the bar and associated shoe sole and heel;

Fig. 4 is a section on line B-B of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line C-C of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section on line DD of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a section on line E-E of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is an underside view of a sole and heel of a right shoe, having the bar of our invention applied thereto.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

B referring to the drawing it will be seen that the bar is of a more r less triangular shape, the base of the triangle constituting a substantially straight edge 6. The longitudinal axis of the bar, that is the line upon which section A--A is taken, lies off center with respect to the whole width of the bar, lying offset to the right, when viewing the underface of the left foot bar of Fig. 1. However, the right foot bar of Fig. 8 would have its corresponding axis offset to the left, in the view presented by Fig. 8. As stated, Fig. 1 represents a full size bar, drawn substantially to scale. The radii of the curved portions 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-76) which constitutes the inner and outer sides I, la have been indicated upon the drawing. From these it will be seen that the bar, which is preferably formed of a compressible and elastic material, such as rubber, cork or other elastic composition material, is at its base edge 6 relatively thick. The upper surface of the bar rises from the base line '6 along line A--A to a plateau or mount 9 and then descends along the same line A-A to apex 8, at the termination of which apex the thickness of the material is much less than the thickness at the forward edge 6. While the highest point of the mount or plateau is disposed laterally offset from the longitudinal center of the structure along the axis AA it is disposed at a point which is substantially centrally located between edge 6 and apex 8. The thickness of the material across the forward edge of the article is maintained thereacross to a degree to provide the relatively thick end portions I0, Fig. 3. However, rearwardl of this point the upper surface is formed as indicated in the sectional views 6 and 1 from which it will be seen that in the transverse planes of these sectional views the surface presents convex curved portions II, I la which descend from the plateau 9 toward the edges or sides 1, la. These edges are relatively thin and the face of the material in Fig. 6 rises in a more abrupt curve from the edge 1 than from the edge la and this causes the bar to closely conform to and support the instep. This curving of the face of the material more abruptly upward from the edge 1 than from the edge la is also present along the line of section E-E, and for the same purpose. The whole underside of the bar is of shallow, concave formation effected 'by recessing the under face of the bar in the molding thereof as at I2. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the recessin of the underside is substantially symmetrical from front to rear with the deepest point of the concavity substantially beneath the mount l0.

However there is little or no recessing of the bottom along line of section E-E while the transverse recessing along lines C-C and DD does not extend entirely to the side edges but leaves flat under-face bearing surfaces I4 at such side edges. Thus there is a solid under-face bearing surface adjacent the apex and also along the side edges. The edge 1, Fig. 1, presents a straight line parallel with the line A-A from the forward edge 6 to the location of, the line C-C. Thence this edge inclines inwardly toward the line A--A at the slight angle of 5 to the point of line DD. The remainder of this edge defines a compound curve consisting of a small convex curve formed upon a radius of three eighths of an inch and a much larger concave curve formed upon a radius of two and one-half inches. The outer side la is defined by a straight line extending from the forward edge 6 to about line CC and inclined toward the center of the bar at about an angle of 8. The remainder of this side is defined by two curves, one a convex curve having a radius of one and one eighth inches and the other a concave curve having a radius of two and three quarters of an inch. The point or apex presents a curve of a radius of five sixteenths of an inch which joins the concave curved portions of the sides 1, 1a. The contours and proportions shown and described yield an orthopedic bar which closely conforms to and supports and braces the instep and arch of the foot and aids in distributing the pressure over the whole width of the shoe sole in such fashion as to relieve the strains and aches incident to fallen arches, as presently set forth.

As is indicated by the shading in Fig. 1 the plateau slopes from its highest point or mount 9 downwardly in a gradually narrowing fashion toward and merges into the end portions II! where the latter slope, as indicated at Ilia.

As is shown in Fig. 8 the bar is of such dimensions as to extend practically the entire width of the shoe sole S, lying with its edge 6 toward the toe of the shoe and with its. apex 8 toward the heel H. As indicated by the dotted line X in Fig. 8, a conventional shoe sole has its longitudinal center line on a slightly curved line which toes in. By disposing the mounts 9 in positions ofiset laterally with respect to the width of the bar as a whole and yet substantially centrally of the distance from edge 6 and apex B the most effective bearing beneath the metatarsal arch, is had. With the bar secured to the outside of the shoe sole, as in Fig. 8, the two bearing points of the ball of the foot rest upon the shoe sole just in front of edge 6. Thus all the foot pressure is carried on these fleshy parts in such manner that the foot tends to swing to the natural toed in position, while the support provided by the mount 9 of the bar, raises the posterior metatarsal arch of the foot. This in turn drags the anterior metatarsal arch upwardly and backward, thereby relieving the painful condition known as Metatarsalgia. The action described prevents weakening of the arches and assists, in preventing the condition known as flat feet. The contour of the bar upon opposite sides of the line AA, merging as it does from the mount 9 to the relative thin side edges, prevents too rigid a support beneath the fleshy parts of the foot upon opposite sides of the metatarsal arch and permts the foot to seek the position of greatest ease.

It is to be understood that the invention includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim 1. An orthopedic bar composed of a pad of resilient material of a general triangular form shaped to constitute a relatively thick, transverse forward edge portion extending entirely across the bar and of a length to extend substantially entirely across the sole of the shoe upon which it is used, an elevated plateau the highest point of which presents a rounded mount located substantially centrally of the fore and aft dimensions of the bar but materially nearer that side of thebar which lies toward the outer side of the foot, in use, than to the other side, a relatively thin portion constituting the apex of the triangle at the rear of the bar, said apex being connected to the opposite ends of said thick forward portion by sides which define compound curves, the rearmost of said curves defining concave portions of the bar, and the rearmost of said curves being of much greater radius than the foremost of said curves, the radius of the rearmost curve defining the edge which lies toward the outer side of the foot, in use, being materially less than the radius of the rearmost curve which lies toward the inner side of the foot, in use, said plateau descending in oppositev directions and laterally of the bar, from th mount to, and'merging into the forward relatively thick portion, and the rear side of the mount descending and merging into the relatively thin apex portion of the bar.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the underface of the bar is of a shallow concave formation with the deepest portion of the concavity underlying said mount.

PHILIP MOLAS. DOMENICK PILEGGI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,717,968 Gartner June 18, 1929 1,841,942 Fenton Jan. 19, 1932 1,860,595 Reed May 31, 1932 2,050,210 Grifiin Aug. 4, 1936 2,253,429 Hess Aug. 19, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 147,022 Austria Sept. 25, 1936 360,302 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1931 

